The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1887-10-27
"A CAMERA WITHOUT LEGS.

PhOtOgraphing q swaying Ship in Mid
Ocean-Use in Art Work-Triumph.
One day last summer the passengers on
an ocean steamer that snorted its way
through the restless Atlantic watched
with curious interest the movements of
two men In the lower rigging of the ship.
One of the men was a brawny seaman,
the other was slender young man, slung
from whose shoulders was small, black
box. The seaman grasped his compan-
ion in such way that he was in no dam
ger of going overheard. The young man
held fast to the black box so that circu-
lar aperture in one end of it faced the
bow of the ship and the group of passen-
gers ON the forward deck. Then with his
right hand forefnger he pressed con-
cealed button on the foot of the box,
and sharp click told that the black rub
Der window of the aperture had opened
for the 120th part of second. When the
two men descended to the deck the pas
sengers learned that the ship had been
photographed. The black box was de-
tective camera. The young man was its
inventor.
When one thinks of this episode on
ship-board, this photographing of a
swaying ship in mid-ocean, it is difficult
to realize that photography is so young
an art. 1t is not SO many years since the
action Of light on nitrate of silver was
discovered. The present century was
well advanced when the Frenchman,
Daguerre, succeeded in his experiments,
and number of years elapsed before the
"Daguerreotypes" gained recognition. So
far as the products go everybody is per
fectly familiar with Photographic prog
ress. The present era has seen some ex-
traordinary advances. To begin with,
it has witnessed the recognition of the
negative as a useful adjunct to legiti-
mate art. At one time artists not only
sneered but scowled at the professions of
the photographer. Nowadays, 10th
though he may often be to acknowledge
the debt, the successful artist owes
much to the camera.
So thoughtful student of the human
figure as Mr. Thomas Eakins of Phila-
delphia has found it to his advantage to
become proficient in photography, which
has long been associated with the art
work at the Philadelphia academy Mr.
Eakins has conducted within the past
few months an important series of ex-
periments with rapids plates and a re-
volving disk, with view to aiding both
science and art to knowledge of the
sacrets of animal locomotion, with re-
gard to which both science and art have |
enough, been until recently
but very imperfectly informed. TAe |
popularity of Eakins method has been |
&a1z
single plate. The special advantage of |
the plan has been the preservation of |
views of objects In motion
while the point of sight is not changed. |
So little has been cared for pictorial
effect that many of the experiments have
been conducted in such a manner as sim
ply to secure a series of Impressions with
accurately recorded time, of glittering
Christmas tree" balls, fastened to the /
joints of animals in rapid motion, or
stuck with wax up and down the backs
IF human models, to show the move
ment of the spine and pelvis in walking.
Aside from these purely artistic and
scientific relations of photography it has
phases which appeal more directly to
popular interest. The instantaneous pro-
less, developed since the invention of
he dry plate" method, has been the
source of much novelty and delight. A
lew interest has been added to reproduc-
ions of nature. Maud S., at the top of
Ter speed, appears in the silver print
With every swelling muscle, every subtle
yrace of outline as clearly cut as if she
lad posed steadily for four seconds, as
Daniel Webster did with his hat on) for
Notable dAguerreotype. A public pageant
low goes down to history in the impair
ial lines of an instantaneous photograph.
The president, making his inaugural
peech, is caught in the midst of a ges-
ure.
Once rapid plates were accomplished
he regulation camera began to seem
lun1sy. Portable as they are now
made, they can not be placed in position
nth sufficient rapidity to catch an OBJ
ect IN motion unless the operator is pre-
AIRED. What was wanted was a cam
"a without legs. When a rumor came
yer the Atlantic that some one abroad
7as experimenting with this idea. Yam
ee genius went to work. The ground
lass focusing difficulty had to be put
ut OF the way. Many other problems
ad to be solved. Several energetic Amer
an photographers and men of mechan-
al talents have been named as the in
entor of the instrument which repre-
'nted the conquered problem.-AIex-
ader Black in Philadelphia Call.